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Related Experiment Videos

Evaluating laboratory performance on quality indicators with the six sigma scale.

D Nevalainen1, L Berte, C Kraft

  • 1Quality Systems Consultant, Gurnee, IL 60126-2532, USA.

Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
|April 4, 2000
PubMed
Summary

Laboratory quality metrics can be misleading. Normalizing data to parts-per-million defects reveals significant opportunities for improving the total testing process and overall laboratory performance.

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Area of Science:

  • Clinical Laboratory Science
  • Quality Management in Healthcare
  • Industrial Engineering

Background:

  • Laboratory quality indicators often use percentage variance, which can obscure true performance issues.
  • Low reported variances may create a false sense of high quality in laboratory operations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To re-evaluate laboratory quality using a parts-per-million defects metric.
  • To identify areas for significant improvement in the total testing process.
  • To explore the application of industrial quality system strategies in clinical laboratories.

Main Methods:

  • Laboratory quality indicator data and national data from College of American Pathologists Q-Probes studies were utilized.
  • Data were normalized to parts-per-million (PPM) defects.

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  • This normalization aligns with practices in manufacturing and service industries for performance benchmarking.

    • Main Results:

    • Analysis using PPM defects highlighted substantial potential for enhancing laboratory performance throughout the entire testing process.
    • The data indicated that current quality assurance programs may not be effectively improving the total testing process.

    Conclusions:

    • Traditional quality assurance in laboratories may not be sufficient for significant process improvement.
    • Quality system strategies, such as ISO 9000 and Baldridge Award Criteria, are effective in manufacturing and service industries.
    • Implementing quality system solutions offers a systematic approach to boosting laboratory performance and efficiency.